NEW DELHI: Taking a "serious note" of a Trinamool Congress parliamentarian carrying a "large sum of cash" on a flight to poll-bound Assam, the Election Commission has ordered transfer of the Air Intelligence Unit staff of the Income-Tax department on duty at the IGI Airport at that time.

The poll panel has also sent a notice to railway minister Mamata Banerjee's party asking it to inform within three days the purpose for which the "party functionary along with others was carrying such a large sum of cash to a poll-bound state and also the ultimate end use that was made of such cash."

KD Singh, a Rajya Sabha MP, was intercepted on March 22 at the airport by airport security which informed officials at the IT Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) of IGIA.

"The Commission desires that the officers posted on airport duty who let off such a large sum of cash to poll-bound state without informing the authorities in charge of conduct of elections be transferred immediately and be warned to be careful in future," the EC order to the Chairman of the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) said. The poll panel said the end use of the said cash found at the airport with the Rajya Sabha MP should be tracked immediately and a compliance report sent to the Commission.The EC's notice to the Trinamool Congress said Singh was identified as an employee of Ms Alchemist Ltd before the I-T authorities at the airport and allowed by them to board the aircraft along with six others. "The Commission has taken serious note of the manner in which the cash was taken by KD Singh, an MP of your party, to a poll-bound state, in violation of instructions of Commission on the subject," it said. The poll panel has expressed concern that diversion of such cash for electoral purposes will disturb the level playing field in elections.

The Trinamool Congress had washed its hands of the cash saying Singh was a businessman and it had nothing to do with the party. However, arch rival CPM said it would appeal to the Election Commission seeking action against the MP. "How was he allowed to go with the cash? He was going to Assam where elections are to be held and Trinamul is contesting," party general secretary Prakash Karat had said at a press conference.

The EC had barred party office bearers, officials, agents and candidates from carrying huge amount of cash during assembly elections in five states.